Velocity by Barrel Length of Various Calibers

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This page will examine barrel length to velocity differences for various calibers. We'll mostly stick to more common calibers, but others will be added as well. Data will be sourced from various sources. One example is the extremely useful "Ballistics by the Inch" website, which recently discontinued their project but has been a valuable source for this type of information. As a result, this page will act as an extra copy of that valuable data.

But first, the concepts will be discussed below, and data from Ballistics by the Inch and other various sources will follow. We'll also analyze the optimal minimum barrel length for various calibers. For example, answering the questions of what would be the minimum barrel length for an AR-15 pistol chambered in 9mm, without wasting potential muzzle velocity, and similar concerns.

How Does Barrel Length Affect Velocity?

It is well-established fact that the length of a firearm's barrel will affect velocity (and therefore muzzle energy and even trajectory) to varying degrees. This is because the longer the propellant has had time to burn, the more of its maximum effect on the projectile can be utilized. Otherwise, energy will be wasted and propellant will likely burn off outside the barrel.

Why Does Barrel Length Affect Velocity?

This can depend on a number of factors, such as burn rate of the propellant, bore diameter, and probably others as well. The same caliber gun with the same barrel length could even show different results. For example, two revolvers of the same caliber and barrel length could differ in their amount of cylinder gap, allowing one to waste a bit more energy than the other. Likewise, semi-automatic or fully-automatic firearms will typically have lower muzzle velocity due to some of the propellant's energy being bled off into the gas system to work the action, and this can vary by individual firearm as well. Some guns, such as Heckler & Koch's integrally suppressed MP5SD are actually designed to bleed off excessive gas pressure to make sure any rounds they fire will remain subsonic! However, that is an edge case and can mostly be ignored as it pertains to the topic at hand.

We'll note various barrel lengths and load data on various calibers, from various sources.

.22 Long Rifle

Velocity by barrel length for .22 Long Rifle (also referred to as .22LR or often just ".22" for short). Data for .22LR shown below is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch. A number of popular loads from major manufacturers were tested. We'll also discuss things like ideal barrel lengths for various firearms to help navigate the various barrel length offerings. This is especially relevant when it comes to things like AR-15 rifle and/or pistol builds, as well as offerings like the Ruger 10/22 (and its "Charger" pistol variants).

Barrel Length CCI 27 gr. CPHP CCI 29 gr. CPRN CCI Stinger: 32 gr. CPHP Remington Yellow Jacket 33 gr. (truncated cone, CPHP) Remington Viper 36 gr. (truncated cone CP) Remington Golden Bullet 36 gr. CPHP CCI Mini-Mag 40 gr. CPRN Winchester Super X 40 gr. RN CCI Velocitor 40 gr. CPHP Aguila Sniper SubSonic 60 gr. LRN
18" 1158 1114 1510 1407 1342 1181 1212 1250 1366 903
17" 1116 1060 1502 1396 1304 1178 1206 1227 1376 903
16" 1130 1094 1489 1398 1306 1185 1207 1251 1340 900
15" 1133 1083 1496 1369 1305 1178 1211 1241 1336 879
14" 1096 1103 1483 1334 1294 1163 1224 1222 1349 883
13" 1098 1071 1496 1381 1296 1147 1183 1248 1341 891
12" 1089 1074 1476 1334 1293 1167 1221 1235 1335 892
11" 1092 1079 1463 1360 1280 1180 1210 1223 1338 881
10" 1115 1065 1452 1304 1270 1150 1169 1193 1316 859
9" 1092 1042 1430 1315 1267 1129 1169 1203 1275 868
8" 1092 1048 1396 1271 1212 1101 1158 1191 1268 857
7" 1060 1056 1367 1284 1229 1073 1139 1162 1244 820
6" 1049 993 1321 1249 1165 1063 1101 1133 1093 824
5" 1029 1014 1286 1214 1156 1009 1097 1070 1172 796
4" 956 948 1191 1113 1104 984 1014 1043 1120 762
3" 907 893 1129 1045 998 890 948 965 1026 726
2" 861 860 974 945 875 846 856 862 882 663

Best Barrel Length For .22 Long Rifle

For Subsonic Loads

For a heavy subsonic load like the Aguila Sniper Subsonic 60 gr., the loading doesn't gain too much velocity in anything more than an 8" barrel. For non subsonic loadings, it's important not to go so short as to make all .22 loadings subsonic, unless that's what you're looking for! Something like an AR-15 in the 8-inch barrel range, or Ruger's shorter 8" "Charger" 10/22's, pairing these with a 5" suppressor like the SilencerCo Sparrow leaves you with a suppressed firearm that is still 5 inches shorter than a more typical rifle setup at around 18" barrel length.

For Maximum Velocity

If one were so inclined to squeeze every bit of velocity out of a .22LR firearm, an 18" barrel does an excellent job of taking full advantage of everything the round has to offer. Some manufacturers offer Ruger 10/22 barrels at 21 inches in length. But as an example, Volquartzen offers match-grade bull barrels in lengths like 16.5" as well. Keep in mind that according to the data above, velocity gains at longer than 16" barrel length were fairly negligible, so 16" appears to be more than enough overall. Still, most stock .22 rifles come with an 18" barrel, so don't worry too much. Any more length is up to you, but doesn't appear to be necessary for a .22LR firearm.

Best Overall Barrel Length for .22 Long Rifle

The big question to ask is whether you plan on using a suppressor with your .22 Long Rifle firearm, and how long that suppressor is. If looking for a more average setup, a typical 18" barrel will give you everything the round has to offer, and it's not worth putting a ton of thought into it. If you want to get the vast majority of .22 Long Rifle performance in a short package, 8 or 10 inches like the lengths offered on the 10/22 Charger, will do well. But if you're absolutely planning to attach a suppressor, it appears that an 8" barrel is a great place to be. Remember that a suppressor will increase muzzle velocity somewhat. If going with something like a SilencerCo Sparrow, an 8" barrel with this 5" suppressor gives you a handy 13" effective barrel length, without leaving performance on the table. You could even go shorter, but the additional length of a suppressor probably won't fully make up for performance loss with a shorter barrel. Overall, if you could only pick one barrel length for any application (or multiple applications with the same firearm), something like an AR-15 pistol with an ~8" barrel will be great. For an average rifle setup, a typical stock 18" barrel is a no-stress decision. But if you must have every bit of velocity with a suppressed setup, 10" still leaves you with an overlength under 18" with almost all suppressor offerings. In that case, something like the Rugged Oculus with a potentially tiny length of only 3.25 inches could be an attractive option to keep the setup short.

.22 Magnum

The table below shows velocity and barrel length data for various .22 Magnum loadings. This data can be especially useful, since this cartridge has gained significant popularity for self-defense, especially in smaller revolvers. This information has been sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length CCI Game Point 40 gr. JSP CCI Maxi-Mag 40 gr. JHP CCI Maxi-Mag +V 30 gr. JHP CCI V-Max 30 gr. Polymer Tip Federal 30 gr. Speer TNT HP Fiocchi PSD 40 gr. JSP Fiocchi PSD 40 gr. JHP Hornady Critical Defense FTX 45 gr. Hornady V-Max 30 gr. Hornady NTX 25 gr. Winchester 30 gr. V-Max Polymer Tip
19" 1827 1999 2285 2348 2355 1908 1936 1773 2296 2265 2149
18" 1837 1985 2322 2298 2324 1920 1950 1764 2313 2235 2110
17" 1825 1980 2280 2288 2334 1918 1938 1755 2318 2241 2160
16" 1780 1987 2316 2276 2283 1887 1934 1702 2252 2166 2129
15" 1799 1967 2304 2294 2275 1916 1873 1738 2240 2229 2127
14" 1783 1963 2230 2298 2244 1885 1951 1751 2243 2250 2105
13" 1749 1889 2181 2220 2227 1852 1886 1698 2245 2191 2071
12" 1750 1881 2168 2204 2163 1843 1811 1699 2144 2138 2052
11" 1709 1835 2079 2097 2135 1788 1845 1652 2093 2146 1989
10" 1687 1817 2060 2144 2102 1791 1772 1643 2069 2065 1951
9" 1672 1759 2000 2061 2018 1723 1772 1630 1966 2024 1924
8" 1594 1706 1950 2012 1979 1650 1696 1536 1977 1928 1803
7" 1529 1617 1887 1904 1879 1626 1606 1525 1821 1818 1763
6" 1484 1575 1763 1804 1821 1526 1544 1454 1740 1824 1694
5" 1355 1474 1672 1723 1657 1433 1477 1307 1602 1670 1575
4" 1248 1353 1510 1504 1457 1287 1269 1239 1379 1492 1454
3" 1089 1160 1236 1336 1228 1101 1117 1049 1153 1308 1288
2" 887 946 884 1085 895 899 853 843 962 1114 n/a


.223 Remington

Velocity by barrel length for .223 Remington - From Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Remington UMC 45 gr. JHP Remington UMC 50 gr. JHP Remington UMC 55 gr. MC
18" 3354 3179 2983
16" 3257 3076 2943
14" 3099 2901 2878
12" 2943 2964 2724
10" 2776 2682 2616
8" 2536 2478 2380
6" 2189 2153 2041
5" 1939 1921 1861
4" 1709 1674 1564
3" 1277 1276 1147


5.56x45mm NATO

Velocity by barrel length for 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. Information is primarily from RifleShooter.com. We'll also discuss best barrel length for something like an AR-15 pistol as well as "SPR" / DMR-type setup below, to help you to better navigate various typical barrel length offerings.

Barrel Length Federal XM193 (55 gr. FMJ) Winchester M855 (62 gr. Penetrator)
26" 3431 fps 3280 fps
25" 3426 fps 3229 fps
24" 3409 fps 3188 fps
23" 3350 fps 3169 fps
22" 3366 fps 3158 fps
21" 3305 fps 3117 fps
20" 3306 fps 3097 fps
19" 3259 fps 3060 fps
18" 3202 fps 3052 fps
17" 3151 fps 2972 fps
16.5" 3187 fps 2992 fps
14" 3039 fps 2808 fps
13" 2974 fps 2694 fps
12" 2919 fps 2646 fps
11" 2834 fps 2579 fps
10" 2767 fps 2489 fps
9" 2662 fps 2403 fps
8" 2520 fps 2296 fps
7" 2410 fps 2135 fps
6" 2202 fps 1955 fps

Best Barrel Length For 5.56 NATO

For Subsonic Loads

Many will advise against bothering with subsonic loads using heavier bullets in a 5.56 firearm and instead opt for an AR-15 chambered in .300 Blackout, since it will have better muzzle energy due to much heavier bullets at the same velocities. Still, a typical 16" barrel with 1-in-7 twist rate (for heavier bullets) and a suppressor of your choosing should work acceptably well overall and still retain a lot more energy than a .22 LR. Likewise, a handier barrel in the 10-inch range and a typical 6-7" suppressor should also be a good setup for a pistol or SBR build. As if often the case, it depends what the user is looking for. But overall, for an optimal AR-15 type rifle with suppressor, 5.56 should not be your first option unless you want it for fun or will also be shooting standard velocity ammo and so on.

For Maximum Velocity & Range

For maximum velocity with 5.56x45mm NATO, a 20-inch barrel will give the most velocity possible out of a common barrel length rifle. For best accuracy, a heavy / bull barrel is preferred. Theoretically, a 22-inch barrel would be the best combination between somewhat manageable maneuverability and maximum velocity, but it's a non-standard length. Anything longer is even more non-standard, and has diminishing returns, though still does offer velocity advantage. But excessive barrel lengths like this should probably only ever be considered if you plan on shooting at 1,000 yards with a dedicated benchrest setup, which is also uncommon. For most applications, an 18" heavy barrel will still offer velocity advantage over a typical 16" barrel and plenty of accuracy. Consider that this is the basic setup of the U.S. military's former Mk 12 Mod 0 "SPR" (Special Purpose Rifle), which was said to have an effective range up to 700 meters.

Note: If you're looking for absolute maximum range from something like an AR-15 platform, it may be worth considering cartridges like the 6.5 Grendel, .224 Valkyrie, and others. The 6mm ARC seems to have impressive potential from our understanding. Also consider the lesser-known .277 Wolverine, which is a bridge between the .223/5.56 and .300 Blackout, and uses the same .223/5.56 cases to load with.

Best Overall Barrel Length for 5.56 NATO

Best barrel length for 5.56mm (and .223 Remington) depends on your use case. For an overall great rifle, there's nothing wrong with the most popular barrel length of 16 inches. It doesn't have any major disadvantages in velocity and is still overall quite maneuverable. For a pistol or SBR setup, if trying to maintain decent velocity and maneuverability, anything less than a barrel in the 10-inch range seems like a hard sell because velocity begins to drop heavily. When using a silencer / suppressor, also be sure to keep in mind that many manufacturers have a minimum barrel length for requirement for their warranties, which is often (but not always) about 10 inches or above in the case of common 5.56mm suppressors. Also consider that longer barrels will work better with a suppressor. As a result, most who want a suppressor may want to opt for a barrel in the 10 inch range, which works out if you want a pistol-type setup for use with and without a suppressor. Since many silencers are in the 6" to 7" range, this gives a similar length to a typical 16" barrel AR-15, and also give some velocity advantage over an unsuppressed 10 inch barrel.

.25 ACP

The velocity and barrel length data for .25 ACP found below, was sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length American Eagle 50 gr. TMJ Winchester .45 gr. Expanding Point Winchester 50 gr. FMJ
18" 1049 1001 978
17" 997 996 980
16" 1005 977 1026
15" 999 991 1032
14" 1016 986 1057
13" 1003 996 1023
12" 1015 979 1014
11" 1023 999 1001
10" 1025 994 997
9" 982 951 1005
8" 1000 951 982
7" 1003 970 1007
6" 963 939 983
5" 904 902 949
4" 847 896 942
3" 867 850 903
2" 753 816 780


.300 Blackout

Velocity by barrel length for .300 Blackout (also known as ".300 BLK"(SAAMI) or ".300 AAC Blackout" (C.I.P.) - From MrGunsnGear on YouTube. We'll also briefly discuss best barrel length for something like an AR-15 pistol, below to allow you to better navigate various typical barrel length offerings.

barrel length 110 gr. (Velocity) 110 gr. (Energy) 125 gr. (Velocity) 125 gr. (Energy) 150 gr. (Velocity) 150 gr. (Energy) 220 gr. (Velocity) 220 gr. (Energy)
16" 2412 fps 1421 ft lbs 2221 fps 1339 ft lbs 1854 fps 1154 ft lbs 1102 fps 593 ft lbs
12.5" 2289 fps 1280 ft lbs 2118 fps 1245 ft lbs 1789 fps 1066 ft lbs 1027 fps 515 ft lbs
10.3" 2203 fps 1185 ft lbs 1984 fps 1094 ft lbs 1709 fps 973 ft lbs 960 fps 450 ft lbs
9" 2167 fps 1147 ft lbs 1975 fps 1090 ft lbs 1661 fps 919 ft lbs 957 fps 447 ft lbs
7.5" 2118 fps 1096 ft lbs 1957 fps 1063 ft lbs 1709 fps 973 ft lbs 953 fps 444 ft lbs

Best Barrel Length For .300 Blackout

For Subsonic Loads

Based on the data above, it appears that for subsonic loads such as 220 grain (where the .300 BLK really shines), barrel length can be an afterthought, particularly if you plan on using a suppressor. Something like a 7.5" barrel with an appropriate 7 to 8 inch suppressor would allow for a package that is still shorter and a little handier than a typical 16" barrel setup. Keep in mind that many manufacturers will not warranty their suppressors on barrels shorter than around 7.5 inches. This would still make a handy setup for military and law enforcement applications, as well as home defense or just a fun recreational setup for novelty.

For Maximum Velocity

If one were so inclined to use their .300 AAC Blackout setup as a full barrel length "AK replacement" in an AR-15 platform and without a suppressor, a 16" barrel will of course give you the most velocity out of any load, and more energy out of subsonic loads as well. Of course, adding a suppressor to that setup would give you a functional barrel length of over 22", which is not particularly handy. This could be acceptable for 5.56 but not as justifiable in a shorter range .300 Blackout rifle. Also, with the added length of the suppressor, some subsonic loads might break the sound barrier, so this is also something to consider beforehand.

Best Overall Barrel Length for .300 Blackout

The major question still comes down to whether you plan on using a silencer or not. If strictly looking for quietest and best handling setup, one could easily go as short as 5.5" which is offered by a number of manufacturers. Remember, a 7 to 8 inch suppressor will add velocity and make up for such a short barrel, but not fully. Overall a good compromise would be a barrel in the 7" to 9" range, which will offer an overall barrel length of about 14 to 16", granting solid muzzle velocity with all loads, handling that is slightly better or similar to a typical 16" carbine setup, and has the benefit of having a suppressor attached. 7.5" would probably be your best bet overall with a suppressor, especially since this is the minimum warranty barrel length for most suppressor manufacturers. If you want maximum velocity with a barrel still shorter than the norm and don't plan on using a suppressor, 12.5" is a great choice for a pistol style setup. And even if you opted to add one, you're still around (or just under) 20 inch barrel length, which isn't terribly excessive. Another thing to note is that shorter and thicker suppressors are out there, such as the Brevis II line from Delta P (5.5 inches long). This would allow a 12.5" barrel to make much more sense, but suppressors like that are not cheap.

.32 ACP

Below is a table of velocity / barrel length data for the .32 ACP cartridge. It has been sourced from the Ballistics by the Inch website.

Barrel Length Cor Bon 60 gr. JHP Federal 65 gr. Hydra-shok JHP Winchester 71 gr. FMJ Winchester 60 gr. Silvertip HP
18" 1394 902 865 941
17" 1358 982 941 1035
16" 1292 983 891 983
15" 1354 1037 990 985
14" 1325 1071 921 991
13" 1332 1009 976 1015
12" 1291 943 944 990
11" 1345 996 976 1023
10" 1332 945 971 999
9" 1302 944 976 990
8" 1305 964 996 1009
7" 1264 957 979 1018
6" 1242 1019 959 980
5" 1231 1012 973 967
4" 1157 939 939 933
3" 1074 893 871 874
2" 944 805 782 787


.32 H&R Magnum

Velocity by barrel length for .32 H&R Magnum - Information sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Federal 85 gr. JHP
18" 1260
17" 1186
16" 1155
15" 1224
14" 1211
13" 1221
12" 1233
11" 1219
10" 1201
9" 1223
8" 1201
7" 1156
6" 1134
5" 1114
4" 1031
3" 953
2" 845

.327 Federal Magnum

Velocity by barrel length for .327 Federal Magnum - Information from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Federal 85 gr. Hydra-Shok American Eagle 100 gr. JSP Speer 115 gr. Gold Dot
18" 1910 2186 1880
17" n/a 2158 1848
16" 1900 2141 1894
15" n/a 2128 1875
14" 1869 2112 1816
13" n/a 2072 1815
12" 1838 2063 1785
11" n/a 2023 1773
10" 1803 1950 1738
9" n/a 1957 1727
8" 1752 1913 1681
7" n/a 1874 1659
6" 1675 1808 1639
5" 1581 1701 1535
4" 1462 1604 1451
3" 1331 1398 1316
2" 976 1056 1042


.38 Special

Velocity by barrel length data for the .38 Special - Sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Cor Bon 110 gr. JHP Cor Bon 125 gr. JHP Cor Bon 110 gr. DPX Federal 125 gr. Hydra-shok JHP Speer 135 gr. Gold Dot HP
18" 1243 1190 1332 1247 n/a
17" 1211 1209 1298 1233 n/a
16" 1298 1261 1388 1252 1315
15" 1220 1210 1301 1231 1255
14" 1187 1180 1274 1214 1264
13" 1151 1182 1311 1199 1247
12" 1181 1164 1298 1192 1233
11" 1200 1144 1232 1178 1242
10" 1163 1135 1232 1182 1217
9" 1162 1129 1230 1144 1209
8" 1105 1092 1214 1119 1189
7" 1095 1069 1171 1094 1145
6" 1021 1014 1106 1052 1115
5" 1009 1045 1129 1029 1101
4" 1013 996 1084 954 1027
3" 851 854 963 831 892
2" 675 723 814 700 756

.357 Magnum

Velocity by barrel length data for the .357 Magnum - Information sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Cor Bon 110 gr. JHP Cor Bon 125 gr. JHP Cor Bon 140 gr. JHP Cor Bon 125 gr. DPX Federal 125 gr. JHP Federal 158 gr. JHP Federal 130 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP low recoil Federal 158 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP
18" 1718 2113 1941 1936 2072 1719 2017 1721
17" 1686 2067 1947 1907 2026 1689 2009 1712
16" 1790 2119 2004 1946 2051 1739 2044 1741
15" 1728 2069 1942 1915 2032 1708 2012 1718
14" 1691 2054 1933 1897 2017 1732 1993 1715
13" 1682 2024 1916 1885 1979 1674 1984 1687
12" 1725 1994 1851 1858 1945 1654 1934 1679
11" 1667 1978 1814 1831 1973 1643 1922 1671
10" 1619 1943 1802 1804 1943 1630 1922 1638
9" 1615 1901 1745 1779 1881 1563 1812 1586
8" 1600 1851 1717 1728 1817 1570 1593
7" 1578 1784 1671 1682 1784 1516 1765 1536
6" 1461 1715 1580 1648 1702 1465 1662 1485
5" 1377 1614 1493 1552 1571 1373 1586 1402
4" 1286 1496 1394 1471 1511 1293 1453 1332
3" 1109 1257 1172 1271 1255 1102 1194 1122
2" 928 904 911 1050 949 858 919 914

.380 ACP

Velocity by barrel length for the .380 ACP - Data sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Buffalo Bore 90 gr. JHP +P Buffalo Bore 95 gr. FMJ +P Cor Bon 80 gr. DPX Hornady 90 gr. HP/XPT FPD Hornady 90 gr. FTX Speer 90 gr. Gold Dot Winchester 85 gr. Silvertip Winchester 95 gr. PDX1 Bonded
18" 1441 1348 1050 1042 n/a 1218 1099 1184
17" 1407 n/a 1091 1049 n/a 1207 1092 1150
16" 1411 n/a 1103 1056 n/a 1218 1108 1181
15" 1396 1349 1133 1153 n/a 1238 1099 1175
14" 1384 n/a 1086 1048 n/a 1234 1104 1149
13" 1394 n/a 1092 1013 n/a 1224 1113 1169
12" 1397 1329 1103 1134 n/a 1233 1071 1200
11" 1384 n/a 1107 1027 n/a 1231 1098 1187
10" 1355 1280 1125 1026 n/a 1201 1095 1129
9" 1346 1289 1068 1022 n/a 1184 1065 1126
8" 1329 1271 1081 1011 n/a 1177 1053 1103
7" 1314 1244 1077 978 n/a 1164 1026 1091
6" 1290 1223 1060 960 n/a 1132 1019 1042
5" 1254 1175 1021 936 n/a 1093 990 1062
4" 1226 1147 994 907 960 1052 966 966
3" 1158 1090 946 860 877 958 900 905
2" 1052 984 875 780 790 852 813 830


.357 SIG

Velocity by barrel length for the .357 SIG - From Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Cor Bon 115 gr. JHP Cor Bon 125 gr. JHP Cor Bon 125 gr. DPX Federal Premium 125 gr. JHP
18" 1770 1729 1508 1722
17" 1781 1736 1526 1720
16" 1768 1723 1500 1723
15" 1794 1746 1545 1733
14" 1764 1747 1518 1723
13" 1759 1721 1521 1704
12" 1751 1699 1514 1683
11" 1721 1699 1495 1665
10" 1708 1690 1474 1658
9" 1694 1669 1468 1636
8" 1654 1627 1451 1612
7" 1641 1599 1429 1585
6" 1588 1552 1395 1531
5" 1578 1537 1402 1501
4" 1491 1468 1317 1426
3" 1373 1326 1237 1319
2" 1222 1173 1125 1145


9mm Luger

Also known as 9mm Parabellum, 9x19mm, etc. Data is from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length Cor-Bon 90 gr JHP +P Cor-Bon 115 gr JHP +P Cor-Bon 125 gr JHP +P Cor-Bon 115 gr DPX Federal 115 gr JHP Federal 135 gr Hydra-Shok JHP (low recoil) Federal 105 gr Expand'g FMJ Federal 124 gr Hydra-Shok JHP Federal 147 gr Hydra-Shok JHP Speer 124 gr Gold Dot Short Barrel
18" 1754 1543 1449 1458 1297 1194 1370 1231 1038 1395
17" 1766 1550 1421 1455 1320 1207 1381 1250 1096 1400
16" 1740 1525 1430 1476 1295 1185 1358 1243 1073 1379
15" 1768 1536 1392 1416 1304 1194 1364 1244 1090 1375
14" 1767 1532 1405 1440 1295 1182 1372 1241 1090 1390
13" 1738 1517 1477 1427 1281 1183 1343 1237 1081 1378
12" 1716 1514 1385 1380 1282 1184 1273 1225 1081 1361
11" 1690 1496 1372 1391 1268 1166 1318 1212 1059 1360
10" 1647 1474 1372 1379 1253 1167 1314 1211 1067 1338
9" 1663 1476 1369 1377 1238 1161 1307 1212 1055 1345
8" 1634 1458 1366 1366 1234 1145 1278 1180 1047 1329
7" 1619 1446 1329 1350 1223 1136 1258 1161 1040 1316
6" 1566 1402 1312 1332 1188 1113 1235 1131 1030 1284
5" 1539 1372 1282 1315 1166 1085 1194 1115 1007 1259
4" 1444 1316 1226 1265 1094 1039 1140 1061 951 1203
3" 1345 1245 1170 1215 1029 976 1074 988 902 1108
2" 1215 1134 1061 1132 948 909 985 900 837 1074

Best Barrel Length For 9mm?

Based on the data above, it appears that almost all loads tested got their greatest percentage increase in velocity up until about a 7" barrel length. Velocity did of course increase further with longer barrels, but to a much smaller degree. For example, going from a 4" barrel to 7" (a 3 inch difference), every load got well over a 100 fps increase in velocity. However, going a full 10 inches longer up to a 17" barrel gained most of the tested loads under 100 feet per second in velocity. In fact, going from a 17 inch barrel up to 18 inches, actually LOST velocity in all but two of the loads, although the decrease was negligible.

It appears that overall, the optimal barrel length for 9mm (for something like an AR-15 pistol build, SBR, or similar setup), is about 7 to 8 inches for maximum efficiency and handling. If you still wanted to maintain an ultra-short setup with a suppressor, you could go even shorter with barrel length, as the additional length of the suppressor will increase velocity. Even at 7-8" barrel, the additional length of a suppressor would still allow the pistol or SBR to remain more compact than a 16" barrel. A 7" barrel with a 7" suppressor would still give an overall length of 14 inches. If you were looking for a rifle setup, there appears to be no major reason to go above the federal 16" barrel requirement, unless local laws differ, or whatever the case may be.


9x18mm Makarov

Velocity by barrel length for 9x18mm Makarov - From Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Glaser 70 gr. Pow'r Ball Hornady 95 gr. XTP
18" 1503 1075
17" 1493 1082
16" 1463 1112
15" 1475 1100
14" 1459 1106
13" 1463 1076
12" 1464 1081
11" 1432 1068
10" 1419 1063
9" 1404 1054
8" 1389 1041
7" 1357 1028
6" 1310 988
5" 1316 973
4" 1237 965
3" 1152 890
2" 1068 831


9x18mm Ultra

Velocity by barrel length for 9x18mm Ultra - Data sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Fiocchi 100 gr. FMJTC
18" 1201
17" 1229
16" 1233
15" 1221
14" 1233
13" 1225
12" 1214
11" 1211
10" 1185
9" 1148
8" 1139
7" 1136
6" 1098
5" 1085
4" 1019
3" 938
2" 860


10mm Auto

Velocity by barrel length for the 10mm Auto - Data from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Cor Bon 135 gr. Pow'R Ball Cor Bon 135 gr. JHP Cor Bon 150 gr. JHP Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP Cor Bon 155 gr. DPX Federal 180 gr. Hydra-Shok Buffalo Bore 180 gr. JHC Winchester 175 gr. Silvertip Hornady 200 gr. XTP
18" 1640 1710 1567 1447 1319 1232 1573 1370 1260
17" 1626 1711 1559 1459 1352 1209 1564 1362 1243
16" 1643 1701 1570 1441 1349 1220 1573 1384 1257
15" 1620 1662 1574 1441 1339 1204 1555 1357 1267
14" 1639 1691 1569 1439 1355 1222 1583 1397 1280
13" 1634 1679 1547 1437 1354 1223 1586 1365 1269
12" 1615 1653 1519 1410 1307 1195 1562 1321 1267
11" 1600 1643 1521 1401 1329 1182 1543 1312 1225
10" 1580 1601 1494 1400 1333 1171 1509 1348 1234
9" 1568 1594 1489 1378 1306 1179 1508 1304 1206
8" 1533 1575 1466 1349 1294 1146 1482 1276 1190
7" 1508 1575 1446 1331 1268 1129 1453 1269 1184
6" 1432 1504 1426 1307 1254 1093 1428 1228 1174
5" 1418 1411 1382 1260 1244 1069 1399 1225 1133
4" 1328 1322 1301 1209 1183 1013 1338 1149 1077
3" 1248 1255 1218 1157 1116 927 1250 1089 1032
2" 1083 1071 1020 976 1014 841 1111 950 912


.40 S&W

Velocity by barrel length data for .40 Smith & Wesson - Sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Cor Bon 135 gr. JHP Cor Bon 150 gr. JHP Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP Cor Bon 140 gr. DPX Federal 135 gr. expand'g FMJ Federal 180 gr. JHP Federal 135 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP low recoil Federal 180 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP Federal 165 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP Federal 155 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP Speer 180 gr. Gold Dot Short Barrel
18" 1662 1457 1378 1442 1411 1165 1425 1189 1117 1355 1105
17" 1650 1498 1387 1460 1403 1196 1414 1207 1133 1346 1133
16" 1636 1464 1351 1433 1398 1142 1398 1175 1084 1317 1143
15" 1672 1478 1392 1438 1421 1165 1398 1181 1114 1341 1149
14" 1649 1460 1377 1448 1382 1156 1401 1170 1128 1337 1134
13" 1630 1429 1379 1393 1385 1148 1392 1160 1132 1327 1137
12" 1618 1438 1341 1414 1373 1120 1371 1163 1123 1313 1143
11" 1591 1408 1350 1403 1359 1124 1355 1132 1103 1300 1124
10" 1587 1405 1329 1392 1345 1123 1338 1148 1124 1294 1125
9" 1555 1406 1297 1382 1349 1113 1342 1133 1096 1297 1136
8" 1537 1382 1293 1384 1314 1104 1318 1115 1096 1257 1099
7" 1514 1354 1272 1368 1305 1084 1288 1092 1064 1241 1101
6" 1476 1340 1251 1328 1281 1067 1267 1081 1052 1209 1068
5" 1453 1303 1225 1308 1233 1047 1225 1051 1038 1190 1053
4" 1350 1240 1164 1236 1201 1016 1155 1022 985 1126 1011
3" 1212 1169 1085 1190 1152 962 1080 964 924 1065 979
2" 1117 1071 998 1093 1032 905 964 892 869 972 930


.41 Remington Magnum

Velocity by barrel length for the .41 Remington Magnum - Data is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Federal 180 gr. Barnes Exp. Vital-Shok Winchester 175 gr. Silvertip Winchester 240 gr. Platinum Tip Cor Bon 180 gr. DPX Cor Bon 170 gr. JHP Speer 210 gr. Gold Dot HP Buffalo Bore 170 gr. JHP
18" 1660 1498 1442 1629 1486 1745 2124
17" 1645 1480 1460 1611 1466 1739 2109
16" 1664 1474 1440 1595 1482 1706 2093
15" 1665 1495 1442 1585 1489 1717 2054
14" 1627 1494 1412 1572 1490 1710 2085
13" 1635 1482 1427 1566 1505 1692 2022
12" 1617 1472 1422 1583 1493 1683 2001
11" 1605 1462 1400 1548 1464 1626 1996
10" 1582 1430 1386 1547 1425 1629 1958
9" 1561 1371 1359 1501 1402 1589 1907
8" 1494 1336 1327 1467 1378 1567 1871
7" 1473 1294 1280 1413 1361 1500 1810
6" 1425 1247 1246 1394 1325 1445 1678
5" 1353 1185 1195 1317 1244 1363 1625
4" 1238 1072 1098 1242 1181 1268 1481
3" 1133 918 1027 1114 1030 1118 1325
2" 934 680 835 917 825 884 985


.44 Special

Velocity by barrel length data for .44 Special. From Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP Cor Bon 200 gr. DPX
18" 1353 1286
17" 1377 1339
16" 1338 1307
15" 1339 1315
14" 1327 1298
13" 1351 1290
12" 1314 1234
11" 1289 1250
10" 1296 1263
9" 1224 1215
8" 1237 1210
7" 1184 1146
6" 1133 1098
5" 1102 1084
4" 1013 972
3" 906 859
2" 854 713

.44 Magnum

Velocity by barrel length for the .44 Magnum - Data from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Cor Bon 165 gr. JHP Cor Bon 225 gr. DPX Federal 240 gr. Hydra-Shok JHP Speer 200 gr. Gold Dot Short-bbl HP
18" 1558 1540 1643 1341
17" 1590 1563 1629 1354
16" 1552 1532 1619 1377
15" 1564 1550 1645 1361
14" 1541 1506 1623 1358
13" 1549 1495 1608 1341
12" 1514 1474 1579 1353
11" 1497 1472 1584 1315
10" 1501 1467 1571 1319
9" 1438 1447 1535 1278
8" 1433 1387 1497 1282
7" 1385 1385 1462 1251
6" 1321 1320 1380 1197
5" 1270 1301 1367 1170
4" 1150 1250 1251 1099
3" 1015 1095 1095 964
2" 952 951 944 833


.45 ACP

The .45 ACP velocity and barrel length data below is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length Buffalo Bore 185 gr. FMJ Flat Nose (Std. P) Buffalo Bore 230 gr. FMJ RN (Std. P) Buffalo Bore 185 gr. JHP (+P) Buffalo Bore 230 gr. JHP (+P) Double Tap 160 gr. Barnes "TAC-XP" (+P) Federal 230 gr. "HST" JHP (Std. P) G2 Research 162 gr. "RIP" JHP (Std. P Hornady 185 gr. FTX Critical Defense (Std. P) Hornady 220 gr. Flexlock Critical Duty (+P) Liberty Civil Defense 78 gr. JHP (+P)
18" 1031 985 1398 1161 1457 926 1074 1210 1057 2230
16" 1024 1016 1438 1163 1442 n/a n/a 1214 1077 n/a
14" 1008 996 1399 1148 1451 n/a n/a 1196 1066 n/a
12" 976 996 1357 1129 1410 924 1057 1183 1063 2153
10" 909 955 1326 1110 1334 n/a n/a 1151 1059 n/a
9" 916 952 1308 1097 1270 n/a n/a 1135 1040 n/a
8" 921 944 1286 1094 1280 n/a n/a 1123 1035 n/a
7" 891 923 1257 1075 1224 n/a n/a 1100 1026 n/a
6" 867 923 1236 1062 1245 n/a n/a 1089 1017 n/a
5" 854 880 1196 1016 1208 896 990 1041 985 1865
4" 820 845 1135 981 1143 838 953 994 951 1823
3" 722 800 1063 907 1049 789 914 906 907 1672

.460 Rowland

The .460 Rowland is essentially a magnum cartridge of the .45 ACP, meant to create and handle much higher pressures for a significant increase in performance. It is meant to replicate .44 Magnum performance in a .45 ACP semi-automatic handgun.

The data below is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

Barrel Length Cor-Bon Hunter 230 gr. JHP
18" 1356
17" 1366
16" 1354
15" 1352
14" 1342
13" 1344
12" 1314
11" 1293
10" 1335
9" 1303
8" 1299
7" 1273
6" 1261
5" 1208
4" 1124
3" 1082
2" 974

.45 Colt

Velocity by barrel length for the .45 Colt cartridge - Data sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Cor Bon 200 gr. JHP +P Cor Bon 225 gr. DPX +P Federal 225 gr. semi-wadcutter Lead HP
18" 1275 1482 1042
17" 1254 1464 1050
16" 1245 1483 1060
15" 1239 1494 1045
14" 1238 1454 1034
13" 1244 1431 1031
12" 1179 1420 1005
11" 1198 1406 1000
10" 1180 1387 1000
9" 1154 1356 965
8" 1140 1340 947
7" 1090 1278 925
6" 1043 1210 891
5" 957 1157 847
4" 875 1093 757
3" 775 936 684
2" 675 778 609


.45 Super

Velocity by barrel length for the .45 Super cartridge - Information is sourced from Ballistics by the Inch.

barrel length Buffalo Bore 185 gr. JHP Buffalo Bore 200 gr. JHP Buffalo Bore 230 gr. FMJ Buffalo Bore 230 gr. JHP Buffalo Bore 255 gr. Hard Cast Double Tap 185 gr. JHP Double Tap 185 gr JHP Bond. Def. Double Tap 230 gr. JHP Bond. Def. LeHigh Defense 170 gr. JHP Underwood 170 gr. CF Underwood 185 gr XTP JHP Underwood 230 gr. GD JHP
18" 1585 1459 1323 1320 1281 1657 1631 1325 1375 1496 1628 1301
16" 1608 1486 1310 1339 1279 1622 1590 1341 1371 1478 1603 1295
14" 1558 1436 1290 1313 1240 1599 1549 1334 1349 1466 1603 1295
12" 1534 1409 1265 1301 1232 1580 1531 1297 1331 1445 1565 1261
10" 1498 1397 1237 1267 1206 1559 1558 1280 1310 1409 1534 1249
9" 1467 1373 1220 1261 1189 1525 1522 1246 1290 1406 1516 1234
8" 1450 1339 1198 1249 1175 1506 1464 1233 1289 1382 1498 1204
7" 1434 1327 1170 1209 1148 1473 1422 1220 1253 1360 1467 1191
6" 1408 1288 1142 1179 1136 1442 1442 1235 1244 1333 1428 1164
5" 1348 1245 1124 1158 1100 1353 1371 1149 1213 1295 1394 1129
4" 1269 1179 1075 1107 1060 1328 1229 1105 1180 1242 1304 1090
3" 1173 1105 1005 1035 1000 1199 1117 1061 1189 1162 1210 1023


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